by Julia Gray
“Mikki,” Scarlett says. “Wait for me inside honey.”
I bite the side of my lip and reluctantly go inside. I close the door and run to the window. I can hear mumbling. I slowly open the window just a crack in hopes of hearing something.
Aunt Scarlett raises her voice.
“You can’t be serious,” I hear her say.
“Do as I say or she’ll pay for it, Scar. I know you don’t want that.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” she responds.
“I told you what happened,” he says quietly. I lean in closer. “I told you about the repercussions.”
“But-”
“This isn’t hypothetical,” he continues. “It’s all real this time. Very real.”
Scarlett sighs.
“Fine,” she agrees.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He nods at her and glances over at the open window. My heart feels like it has stopped beating. He raises an eyebrow before walking away.
Scarlett walks briskly into the house. I jump back from the window.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“Pack a bag,” she answers. Her cheeks are flaming red. “I guess we’re going on a little trip.”
Chapter Thirty Eight
“He wants me dead. . .”
I could hardly sleep last night when Scarlett told me the news. I’ve been trying to pack all morning. Mr. Haskell somehow talked Aunt Scarlett into a spur of the moment cabin retreat. Strange. I tried to ask her more about it, but she’s acting weird. My heart beats faster when I’m around her. I think she knows about Bristlecone. That has to be it. Why else would she agree to drive me up to the famous Haskell beach house?
I’ve heard stories from Zanna about the wild parties and a lifetime supply of liquor in the cellar. My heart pounds when Scarlett lightly knocks on my door. I grab another t-shirt from my dresser and throw it into my suitcase.
“Are you almost ready to go?” she asks. The tone of her voice is soft and a little frazzled.
“Sure.” I roll my eyes. “I still don’t understand what’s going on, though.” I throw the thought out there again just to see if she might tell me the truth this time.
“I told you.” She folds her arms. “This is a special request that . . . well, you and I could use the time away, yeah?”
“Is he going to be there too?” I narrow my eyes. I know it’s not a good time to bring it up, but I still can’t help picturing her and Mr. Haskell in the alleyway together. I still shudder thinking about that night.
“Who?”
“You know who I mean.”
She takes a deep breath. A look of disappointment crosses her face.
“Mikki, I don’t want to get into this right now.” She clears her throat. “I told you it’s not what you think.”
I bite the side of my tongue. Scarlett won’t admit that what she did was majorly low. Not to mention disgusting. I roll my eyes and continue packing.
“What am I supposed to say when I call into work?” I ask.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Matt said he would take care of it.”
I glance at her, trying not to look too cross.
“Sorry,” she corrects herself. “I mean Mr. Haskell.”
“I don’t know what else to bring.” I stare down at my suitcase. I grabbed every type of outfit I could think of and my bikini. I might as well get that summer tan I’m always complaining about not having. I haven’t been to the beach once this summer. Okay, that’s a lie. I have been once.
At night.
And Dane was there too.
“I’m sure what you have is fine,” she responds. She walks forward, changing the look on her face to one that doesn’t wrinkle her forehead. “Come on.” She nudges me. “Think of this as a free vacation. We’ll be relaxing on the beach. No work. No school.”
I nod, but in the back of my head I can’t help but wonder why Mr. Haskell is practically forcing us to leave. My heart starts racing again. I try taking controlled breaths.
Bristlecone.
This has to be all about Bristlecone.
How can I relax when I know that someone is looking for me? Someone with a thin face and devilish eyes. The man that looks like an evil skeleton haunts my thoughts. He’s here in town. He wants me dead for what I saw.
“Um hello?” Scarlett waves her hand in front of my face. “Care to share?”
“Oh,” I gulp, noticing that I zoned out for a minute. “Sorry, just tired.”
“Well hurry up. You can sleep all you want on our drive. It’ll take a few hours.”
* * *
The Haskell beach house is a half a day drive up the coast. It sits on its own private beach. My eyes are wide as we pass extravagant houses with perfect yards. I look at the GPS. We are only a few minutes away. We pass another picturesque view of the beach with blue water and perfect sand.
“Have you ever even been in a place like this?” I say quietly.
“Not for a long, long time,” Scarlett answers.
We turn down a narrow street. I can see a giant, white house in the distance. The windows sparkle in the sun and the rolling waves give it the perfect backdrop.
“That’s it,” Scar mutters. “That’s the one.”
I’m speechless as we pull into the driveway. Our car looks uncomfortably out of place. Aunt Scarlett pulls the house key out of her pocket and hands it to me.
“Here,” she says. “Go see if you can open one of the garages.”
“If I can find the garage,” I comment. I follow her instructions and get out of the car.
The sea breeze feels good in my lungs. I can hear the ocean as I turn the key and unlock the front door. The entryway is exactly what I expected. I take a small step and marvel at the perfectly placed furniture and display of porcelain plates in the living area. Every room looks like it’s straight out of an interior design magazine.
I break my gaze with the circular stairway and head down a hall that looks like it might lead to the garages. I open a door and press the button against the wall. A garage door slowly opens, and Scarlett pulls in next to a shiny, blue BMW.
“How much do you think that set them back?” Scarlett comments as she steps out of the car and glances at the BMW. She opens the trunk and pulls out our luggage. “I’m beat. See if they have any food in the pantry.”
I nod.
I close the door behind me and wander around the lower level until I find the kitchen. Again, it’s nothing less than what I expected. Perfect and bigger than our entire apartment. I open the door to the pantry. They have everything and anything we can find at the grocery store. Aunt Scarlett will be pleased.
My heart jumps when I hear the doorbell ring. I hear Scarlett hauling our things down the hall.
“Was that you?” I hear her yell. I walk towards the front door. Aunt Scarlett walks up behind me.
“No,” I reply.
“Matt didn’t say anything about company.” She looks at me and inches closer to the door. “Hmmm.”
“Maybe we should just ignore it,” I suggest.
The doorbell rings a second time followed by a loud knock.
“Hello?” I recognize the voice on the other side of the door. I rush to open it.
“Mikki-“
Before Scarlett can protest I open the door.
“Hey.” Dane grins and steps inside.
“Dane?” Aunt Scarlett exclaims.
“Yeah.” He glances in my direction. My heart flutters. “You didn’t think you would be staying here all alone, did you?”
Chapter Thirty Nine
“This is going to be a hell of a weekend.”
“Your dad never said anything about this.” Scarlett folds her arms and eyes the backpack on his shoulder.
“He thought you could use the company I guess,” he replies. He raises his eyebrows and looks at me. “I’m not the only one.” He walks past us towards the kitchen.
“Excuse me,” Scarlett scolds him. “You can’
t just-“
“Scar,” I interrupt. “It’s his house.”
“Um, who else is coming?” I ask.
“Take a wild guess,” he sighs, reaching into the fridge.
I hear the sound of a car door slamming. I run to the window and see Paige dragging her suitcase. If things go the way they did last time, maybe this won’t be so bad. She looks up and smiles. I open the front door just as the passenger door opens behind her. A tall, blonde girl steps out. My heart sinks.
“Oh,” Paige chuckles. “I brought a friend. You don’t mind, do you Mikki?”
“No,” I lie. The sight of Lucy in jean shorts and a practically see-through top makes me feel like a preteen all over again. I can feel my cheeks getting hot.
Don’t blush. Just act like you don’t care.
“Hi,” Lucy says as she carries her things inside.
“Hi,” I reply. I watch the two of them carry their stuff up the staircase.
“Dane!” Paige yells. “Do you expect all us girls to carry our suitcases upstairs by ourselves? Geez, what a gentleman.”
Dane emerges from the kitchen.
“You could use the workout,” he laughs. Aunt Scarlett glares at him. Dane’s eyes go wide as he spots Lucy at the top of the stairs. I look in his direction.
“You shouldn’t say stuff like that,” Scarlett mutters. “Your sister is a walking twig.” She rolls her eyes and walks away.
“Mikki.” Dane sprints to my side. “I swear.” He grabs my hand. The sudden gesture makes my chest freeze mid-breath. “I had no idea Paige was bringing her.”
I sigh. What am I supposed to say to that? I want to believe him. The first time I met Lucy was at the mall. I could barely stand long enough to walk back to the car. Zanna had to hold onto me part of the way.
“Say something,” Danes says quietly. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m going to go find a room,” I reply. I need some air. I need to be alone. I casually walk up the staircase leaving him speechless. Maybe Jemma was right about Paige. Maybe she brought Lucy here on purpose to see what I would do? I’m not going to take the bait.
I stroll down the hall and hear giggling in a nearby room. I turn around and try the other side of the house. I pass a room that is smaller than the others, but it has a private bathroom and balcony. The bed, furniture, and décor are all white.
“I’ll take this one,” I whisper. I shut the door behind me and fall on the bed. The mattress is bouncy, and the white comforter welcomes me with open arms. I close my eyes. This is going to be a hell of a weekend.
* * *
I can hear Aunt Scarlett making dinner downstairs. It smells like roasted garlic. There’s a light knock on my door. I know who it is. My stomach starts churning. I sit up and run my fingers through my hair. I readjust my top so that the right amount of cleavage is showing.
Mikki, you slutface.
“Come in,” I respond. The door slowly opens, and Dane steps in. He smells like he just spritzed himself with cologne. He grins and calmly sits next to me on the bed. My heart starts racing. I can’t help but think back to our first time on the beach. We haven’t done it a second time since, but I know he’s thought about it. I can see it in his eyes.
“Hey.” He uses that deep tone that sets me on edge. He knows his voice reels me in. ”What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” I reply. I look around the room.
Dane chuckles.
“My grandparents usually stay in this room.” He scoots a little closer.
“Well,” I quietly reply. “They have good taste.”
His hand touches mine. It sends pulses of energy down my spine. I’m so mad at him. But I still love him.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” he says in almost a whisper. “You and I . . . our timing always seems to get screwed up doesn’t it?”
I nod.
“I know you’re mad at me,” he continues. “And I don’t know what kind of game my sister is playing, but I want you to know that it’s you Mikki. It always has been you.”
My chest feels warm, and I take a deep breath in attempts to calm my fluttering heart.
“You’re always so quiet,” Dane goes on.
“I’m a woman of few words,” I joke. “I just . . . I hate secrets. I hate feeling like the idiot in the room.” I almost choke down a swallow. I still haven’t told him anything about my night with Kade. It’s in the back of my mind whenever we kiss, whenever he takes my hand and tells me how he feels.
“I get it,” he agrees. “No secrets.”
“Yeah.” I hang my head. I have to tell him now. I’ve waited too long.
Dane puts his arm around me.
“Then . . . let me go first.” He roughly exhales and clears his throat. His cheeks turn rosy. My heart keeps racing, now even faster. “Remember back when Lucy first moved into town?”
I nod.
“Well.” He clears his throat again. “Please don’t be angry. I don’t want to feel like I’m hiding things from you.”
“Okay,” I respond.
“She came over late one night, and we talked.”
My head starts to pound. I feel dizzy. No. Don’t say it.
“I don’t know how it happened but we-“
“You slept with her?” I interrupt.
“No,” he answers. “But we kissed.”
My entire body feels like it’s on fire. I feel faint like that afternoon when I saw Lucy at the mall, but times a thousand. I can’t compete with that girl. All she has to do is waltz over, give Dane a look, and he’s all hers again. I jump up with my hands clutched at my sides. Pressure builds behind my eyes. Tears start rolling down my cheeks.
“Oh, Mikki.” Dane tries to console me, but I recoil at his touch. I knew it. Everything between us was too good to be true.
Everything.
“Don’t be like that,” Dane whispers. “Please don’t cry.”
“I don’t understand,” I blurt out. I wipe away the tears, but they keep clouding up my vision. “Why am I so hard to love?”
Dane’s eyes look glassy. He tries to put a hand on my shoulder, but I step away.
It looks like this is our last night together.
Chapter Forty
“Found you . . .”
I don’t know where to look. I can see Dane staring out of the corner of my eye. Lucy is giggling and talking about her family’s trip to the Bahamas, and Paige has barely touched her lasagna. Aunt Scarlett is nodding politely. I know she’s annoyed. She’s been cutting that same green bean for three minutes now.
“I think I’m going to call it a night,” I say, standing up with my half eaten plate of food. “Thanks for dinner.”
“It’s only seven,” Paige comments. I shrug. I have to make an excuse. Something that doesn’t involve Paige, Lucy, or the fact that I want to run up the coast and never come back.
“I’m tired.”
“I thought we were going to light a fire on the beach?” Lucy’s lips always look perfect when she speaks. I try not to frown. A bonfire on the beach is the last thing I want to do. It reminds me too much of the night Dane, and I had sex for the first time.
Don’t cry.
“You guys go ahead.” I force a smile. Paige sits up in her chair.
“Well, what do you want to do? We’re all tired.”
Jemma was right about her.
“Paige,” Dane mutters.
“Oh shush,” she scolds him. Lucy takes another bite of her lasagna, oblivious to the tension in the room. “I’m just trying to be accommodating.”
“Well stop,” Dane argues.
“Okay,” Scarlett intervenes. “This isn’t some kind of organized summer camp. Everyone can do what they want.” She stands up with her hands and her hips. A smile crosses her face. “Anyone want dessert?” Her tone is light and upbeat.
“Sure,” Lucy responds. She seems to be the only one paying any attention to the food.
“Excellent,” Scarle
tt responds. “Mikki, will you give me a hand?”
I hesitate for a moment. I just want to run upstairs to my room and never come out.
“Come on,” she urges. I nod and follow her to the kitchen. She takes my dinner plate and turns on the faucet on the sink.
“Cut it out,” she says. The sound of running water drowns out her voice. “You’re giving that girl exactly what she wants.”
“Who?”
“Paige.” Scarlett frowns. “She obviously brought Lucy here to piss you off, and it is working.”
“I was fine with it before,” I reply. I lean against the counter with my arms folded. “But then . . . never mind.”
“There’s something going on between her and Dane isn’t there?”
My eyes go wide.
“It isn’t that hard to pick up on.” She begins washing my plate. I sink my shoulders and stare at the floor.
“I don’t need your advice,” I answer.
“I’m not offering it.” She keeps her voice upbeat. “But if I were you, I would go out of my way to make everyone see that I don’t care at all.”
“Good thing you’re not me then,” I sarcastically reply.
“Mikki, I know you’re mad at me,” she sighs. “I’ve been debating whether or not to tell you . . . look, maybe tomorrow we can have a chat just the two of us?”
I take a deep breath.
Is she serious?
“What exactly do you mean by that?” I’m tired of being fed a bunch of lies. I’m tired of being the only person in the room who doesn't know what is really going on.
“I mean I think it’s time to get some things off my chest.” She smiles at me. Her eyes go soft. She is serious.
“Okay,” I agree. “Can I go to my room now?”
“Sure,” she shrugs. “I’ll bring you some cake.”
* * *
It’s easy to fall asleep on a full stomach. I open my eyes. It’s dark outside, and I’m in bed with my clothes still on. Aunt Scarlett brought an enormous piece of homemade chocolate cake to my room. I ate it a little too fast and must have fallen asleep. I can hear the wind blowing against my window. I listen for a minute to the sounds outside my door.
